


I'm Too Young For This

by animenutcase



Series: The Misadventures of the Family Known As The Shepherds [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, Gen, Various Other Pairings - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-07
Updated: 2015-01-17
Packaged: 2018-01-15 19:03:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1315837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animenutcase/pseuds/animenutcase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Shepherds of the First Generation learn to answer the question "What do you do when your future kid comes back in time, marries the army tactician, and then your future grand-kid shows up?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gerome

The conversation had started simply enough. Ricken had noticed that Morgan’s axe had broken, so he headed to the convoy to get a new one for him. After that, he and Cherche had moved to give it to him. And when Morgan moved to take out another enemy, he’d said it.

“Thank you, Grandmother and Grandfather!”

(After the battle, Lissa remarked that the looks on their faces had been priceless and that she wished Libra had seen so he could draw it)

“Sometimes I forget that that boy is my son’s son.” Ricken mused as he and Cherche were lying in bed that night. “And that that makes me his grandfather.”

"Indeed." Cherche nodded as she looked up at the ceiling. "I'd accepted the idea that I might not ever get married, but hearing Morgan call me grandmother was still a shock."

When Gerome and Robin came to them and said they were getting married, they’d both nearly had a heart attack. They'd practically had to stalk Gerome to get him to talk to them after battles, so finding out he'd fallen in love with the tactician who was at least partially responsible for his existence had been something of a shock.

Still, they were happy that their son found someone he loved, so the two of them gave their blessing after Cherche (with the same pleasant smile she always wore) threatened to feed Robin to Minerva if she ever broke her son's heart. The wedding was small, only attended by their fellow Shepherds. At the very least, everyone had a good laugh when Robin was escorted down the aisle by her much-shorter father-in-law-to-be. 

Then Morgan had shown up, and for the first time since they'd met, Gerome swallowed his pride and came to Ricken for advice. It had felt weird giving advice to his son who was older than him, but Ricken had felt good. 

It would have been nice for Gerome to ask if his father was decent, though. Alternate universe or not, there's just something scarring about walking in on your parents having an... intimate moment. Several days later, Ricken learned that the reverse was also true.

 _Then_ Morgan and Noire sat Gerome and Robin down with Donnel and Tharja and told them they wanted to get married. Gerome was forced to confront the fact that one of his childhood friends was marrying his son.

When he asked Noire about it, she couldn't really answer herself. All she could explain was that Morgan made her feel special, and that she was drawn to him. Gerome had already given his blessing, so he couldn't very well argue about it, especially considering the fact that his own wife had charmed him in her own way. That was another way Morgan took after his mother, he supposed. Plus, even he had to chuckle as he watched Donnel escort Noire down the aisle, being much shorter than his daughter.

And if you thought walking in on your father or son having sex was traumatizing, just imagine how bizarre it feels to walk in on your grandfather or grandson.

A few months before they faced Grima, Cherche learned that she was pregnant. As a result, she and Ricken were both kept out of the final battle. Still, they had seen Robin rush ahead of Chrom, and they both knew very well what it meant. Cherche had given a low growl and stroked Minerva as she rubbed her belly with her other hand. She quietly promised to give Robin a good scolding when she returned.

They kept a close eye on Gerome and Morgan in the months it took to find Robin after Grima's defeat. Though everyone had been confident that she would return, Ricken and Cherche both understood that they needed to be prepared in the event that she didn't. Fortunately, Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick returned one afternoon in late August with the tactician in tow, the Mark of Grima gone from her hand. She was in time to witness the birth of her husband's alternate self. All in all, it was a very joyous occasion, though Morgan complained to his wife that his father kept dragging his mother off to some corner of the castle and wouldn't explain what they were doing. 

Morgan's confusion and annoyance remained until one morning when Ricken found him seated in the dining hall wearing an expression not unlike that of a war veteran.

"I... I walked in on them!" He practically yelled, and Ricken was privately grateful that the dining wall was empty save for them. "I walked in on my parents... They were..."

He let out a horrified yell as he buried his face in his hands.

Before Ricken could say anything, Morgan lifted his head with wide eyes. 

"I just considered something." He gasped. "Grandmother wasn't pregnant at the time Father and I walked in on you. But we found out she was pregnant a couple months later. That means there's a good chance that I witnessed my own father's conception."

For a moment, Ricken and Morgan just sat there pondering the information.

"Maybe we shouldn't mention this to your father." Ricken quietly suggested, and Morgan nodded.

Unfortunately, Gerome had been standing just a few feet behind them. The three of them privately agreed to try pushing the memory to the back of their minds.

Two months after the Gerome of their timeline was born, they learned that Robin was pregnant. When Ricken considered the dates, he gave his son a sly look, and Cherche saw Gerome's face turn red under the mask. For all his coldness, it was clear that Robin's pregnancy came about from a desperation to hold his wife again after coming so close to losing her. It wasn't like his fears were unfounded, either. The need for the Shepherds hadn't disappeared along with Grima. There was still the issue of bandits and leftover Grimleal. The Shepherds were still needed as much as ever, and pregnancy did little to hinder Robin's dedication to her job as the army's tactician.

On an evening in late March, Cherche heard a knock at the door. When she opened it, she saw her grandson looking like he'd seen a ghost.

"I... walked in on Mother and Father again." He said, and she gave a small nod as she moved to let him in. "I just don't understand... Mother's pregnant!"  
"Sometimes pregnancy doesn't hinder a person's sex drive." Cherche calmly explained as she prepared tea. "For some, it can actually increase it."  
"Isn't it dangerous, though?"  
"Not necessarily. As long as you're careful, there shouldn't be any harm to the mother or child."

Morgan gave Cherche a worried look before very slowly asking.

"Please tell me you aren't speaking from experience."  
"My lips are sealed, Morgan."

Despite acting traumatized, Morgan bounced back rather quickly and the issue of pregnancy didn't come up again until early May.

“He’s adorable.” Cherche cooed gently at the newborn in Robin's arms.  
“Isn’t he though?” Robin grinned at her.

“I wonder what my parents would say if we took Morgan to them and told them he was their great-grandson?” Ricken mused to himself.  
“Don’t.” Donnel put his hand firmly on Ricken’s shoulder. “My ma fainted when we introduced her to Noire. When Noire told us she was pregnant, Ma nearly had a heart attack.”

“Pregnant?” Gerome and Robin turn to look at Noire, then at Morgan, who rubbed his head sheepishly.  
“You didn’t tell ‘em?” Donnel looked incredulous.  
“Well, since you and Dad were having a kid, I thought maybe Noire and I should have one, too!” He said cheerfully.  
“But we wanted to wait until the Morgan of this timeline was born before we told the two of you.” Noire’s face was red, but she looked excited.  
“I just had my first child and I’m already going to be a grandmother.” Robin’s face suggested she wasn’t entirely there.  
“I’m going to be great-grandfather.” Ricken’s face was similar.

Well, their family tree (which had already encompassed three generations in the short time that it existed) promised to be a lively one, at any rate, Cherche decided as she stroked Minerva's neck.


	2. Severa

Gregor considered himself to be a man that would be a doting father if the opportunity ever presented itself, no matter how unlikely it was to at his age. When Cordelia proposed, he began to think that perhaps the possibility wasn't as farfetched as it seemed at one point.

When Cordelia walked up to him after dealing with a mercenary fortress with the girl who had been adamant on getting her friend out and told him she was their daughter, he was not as surprised as he acted. There had been a fire-some determination in her eyes that had reminded Gregor of Cordelia. He knew better to argue when Cordelia got a similar look on her face. He decided not to voice this around either Cordelia or Severa.

It did not take him long to take to the role of doting father, nor did it take him long to realize that Severa was simply _acting_ the part of Papa's Pride And Joy. After an argument about the giving and the taking, Gregor put his foot down and told her to do chores around the camp. That evening, he spoke with Cordelia about Severa's behavior. Cordelia (who always had been better at what the people of Ylisse called "tact") had taken to giving her dessert to Severa in exchange for spending time with her, but had learned some unhappy things. She confirmed Gregor's suspicions that Severa had a complex of inferiority regarding Cordelia.

"I noticed that she's been spending a lot of time around Robin." Cordelia explained. "I think she's worried that she lacks skills to be a part of the army, so she's trying her hand at tactics."  
"What?" Gregor gave Cordelia an incredulous look. "While I am sure Severa has talent and drive to succeed in whatever she wants, it is silly that she thinks she must run around trying everything."

They both agreed to talk to Severa about their issues. Severa admitted that she was afraid to become close to her mother. She also admitted to fearing that she'd disappoint her father by not living up to her mother's talents. Cordelia and Gregor both assured her that they were both happy that she came from the future and that they loved her the way she was. Severa seemed to take their words to heart, and opened up a bit more.

Strangely, though, she continued to spend time around Robin. Neither Gregor nor Cordelia could make heads or tails of it until Cordelia overheard her ranting about him to Ricken and Tharja's daughter. 

"Who does he think he is!?" Severa growled. "Does he think that just because he's... he's... he's dreamy that he can get away with giving my idea a B+!?"

Cordelia stopped listening at that point. That single word Severa had used told Cordelia all she needed to know about what was going on. After all, she had once used the same word to describe her first love, many years ago.

Gregor seemed surprised when she told him what she'd heard, though she suspected that he already had a pretty good idea of what was going on. He may not have noticed that Cordelia's affections had shifted from Chrom to him, but she doubted that he'd be that oblivious with regards to his own daughter. The two of them spent the evening talking about it. On one hand, Robin was a good friend to the both of them. On the other hand, Severa was their _daughter_. On the _other_ other hand, she was also displaced from an alternate timeline and was clearly old enough to make her own decisions regarding who she became involved with. On the other other _other_ hand, it was entirely possible that this was just like Cordelia's own one-sided affection for Chrom and that it would eventually pass in time, as unhappy as Cordelia was at the thought of her daughter suffering years of unrequited love like she did.

On the metaphorical _fifth_ hand, Robin didn't seem to mind Severa's constant hanging around him. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it. 

Gregor and Cordelia both came to the conclusion that if they ended up coming to that bridge, they would have to cross it. Two weeks later, they did.

When Severa and Robin came to ask for their blessing (though Cordelia and Gregor both knew that it was just a formality that Robin insisted on), they gave it without much of a fuss. Cordelia wept at the sight of her husband walking their daughter down in the aisle, and Gregor swallowed any threats to end Robin's life if any harm came to her, knowing full well that Robin would sooner die. He _did_ at least make a joke about "sharing the body heat" at the celebration dinner. The two of them made peace with their daughter's marriage to their friend and were prepared for that to be the end of it.

Then Morgan showed up.

"It's nice to meet you, Grandmother and Grandfather!" She'd greeted them cheerfully, as though she wasn't giving them a mid-life crisis years before it was due. Or rather, Cordelia was having a mid-life crisis years before it was due. Gregor mentally noted that he was technically around the right age to be having one, it was just being caused by a grandchild appearing out of nowhere just weeks after his daughter's wedding.

Still, Morgan was cheerful and sweet girl. She went out of her way to talk to everyone just like her father did. She was skilled in many areas just like her grandmother. She even understood her grandfather's mixed up metaphors without having to have them explained to her.

Severa, on the other hand, did not seem very happy about Morgan's presence. One afternoon, she barged into her parents' tent, ranting about how she was being out shined by a daughter that didn't even remember her.

Cordelia just sat Severa down as Gregor prepared an old tea recipe from his homeland. 

"Laurent said that when Robin and I got married, it created a whole new future, and that Morgan probably came from there." Severa pouted as she began. "But Morgan only remembers Robin, so we can't get any details. I don't know what I was like in Morgan's future. We don't even know if the future Morgan came from was one where Grima was revived or not."

Cordelia gave her daughter a gentle smile as she continued.

"She keeps coming up to me and asking me to help her get her memory of me back, but nothing works!"

Cordelia sat down next to Severa and rubbed her shoulder. Despite Severa's earlier rants, it was clear that Morgan's talents weren't what had been bothering her.

"I am sure that Severa in future was good mother to Morgan." Gregor said firmly as he handed Severa her tea. "And that Morgan, no matter if future was good or bad, loved Severa as much as Robin."  
"Wh-who said I was worried about that!?" Severa protested. "Anyway, it's pretty obvious that Morgan's a total daddy's girl. She's always going on about being a tactician like Robin."

Gregor sighed, but Cordelia got a thoughtful look on her face.

"Severa, how was Morgan dressed when you and Robin found her?"  
"What's that got to do with anything?"  
"Plenty. What was she wearing? Was she dressed in a particular way?"  
"Not... really." Severa's frown deepened. "She was dressed like a mercenary, the same way I-"

Severa froze as apprehension dawned on her.

"I think that says a lot, don't you think?" Cordelia smiled at her daughter.

Severa stood up abruptly, declaring her intent to find Morgan.

"Oi, she not even finish her tea." Gregor gave a small sigh, but Cordelia saw the smile at the corner of his mouth.

Later that evening, Morgan paid them a visit. 

"I got a memory of Mother back!" She said excitedly. "It was just a small one, but maybe I can get the others back, too!"

She gasped.

"Maybe I can even get my memories of you back, too!"  
"That would certainly be nice." Cordelia chuckled. "I would like to know how my future self treated my granddaughter."  
"And Gregor not lose to future self in grandfatherly love!" Gregor added.

Morgan laughed, and somehow, everything they'd fought for seemed to be worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did some of the writing seem awkward around Gregor's parts? I hope so.


	3. Yarne

The first meal that Stahl had prepared for Panne had not impressed her. The first meal that he prepared her as her "husband" hadn't been that impressive either, but it was better than the first one, and she had to admit that it was the thought that counted.

When Panne learned of her future son's reasons for siding with the brigands she had found him with, she was far from impressed. When Panne's warren was slaughtered, she spent years feeling as though despair would crush her. Even in her darkest of moments, however, she never ran from a fight and never compromised her pride for safety. With time, she rose past her despair and carried herself with strength and pride. To see that her own son hadn't inherited her backbone and fled at nearly every sight of potential danger was... more than unimpressive, it was disappointing.

Stahl was more forgiving of the boy's cowardice than she was.

"I think that Yarne is very proud of where he comes from." He explained to her one day. "And from the sound of it, the future he came from sounds... grim."

Panne said nothing, but nodded for him to continue.

"Even though he had his friends with him right up until they came to the past, it sounds like they barely escaped with their lives. If they'd been too late, it really would have been the end of the taguels."  
"But even so...!" Panne protested. "The fact that he survived long enough to come to the past is proof enough that he has enough strength to defeat any opponent!"

Stahl nodded.

"That's true. Our son probably is strong enough to fight any foe and win, but..." His voice trailed off as he paused.

"But we don't know exactly what sort of horrors he saw in the future." He said quietly when he continued. "Whatever it was, it probably didn't do his confidence any favors."

Panne didn't have a reply to that. It wasn't like she didn't have any fears of her own of what might have happened to her son. Alarm bells had gone off in her head the moment she first detected his scent and found that he was the only taguel around, even moreso when she confirmed that he was indeed her son. Taguel, much like rabbits, typically didn't have just one child, and Panne had never considered herself to be an exception to that. It was quite possible that Yarne hadn't been the only taguel born to her and Stahl in the future, merely the only one that survived to come to the past.

"But you're right that Yarne can't keep going like this." Stahl roused her from her thoughts. "And I _do_ think he's getting better."  
"That is true." Panne nodded. "He flees from perceived threats, but he charges to protect his comrades when it appears that their lives are in danger."

Stahl smiled at Panne as he continued to prepare dinner.

"I _do_ wish he would stop following Robin around, though."  
"Robin?" Stahl paused from cutting the carrots to give her a confused look.  
"She was... very determined to stroke his ears." Panne explained. "I will admit that it was very surreal to see the serious army tactician stroking Yarne's ears like he was a pet."  
"And did Yarne... enjoy it?" Stahl suddenly looked very uncomfortable.  
"The boy is ticklish." Panne sighed. "But I overheard a conversation of theirs. It seems he was asking her to keep him toward the back in any upcoming battles."  
"What!? But didn't the two of them fight off an ambush by the Conqueror's forces!?"  
"Yes. And that _should_ have been enough proof that he doesn't need to be kept back from fighting." Panne groaned. "But for some reason, he keeps following her around like a lovesick puppy."

Panne looked at Stahl to see that his face had gone pale at that last sentence.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she glanced around, looking for any possible threat.  
"Panne, why do you think Yarne is following Robin around?" Stahl said slowly.  
"I was under the impression that he was trying to get her to play along with his cowardice. Immediately after the ambush, I thought he might have been trying to use his injury in order to guilt her into going along with it." Panne explained, staring at Stahl as though he were an idiot. "Why?"

Stahl opened his mouth to answer, but Yarne walked into the kitchen and asked if it would be alright if they had dinner with just the three of them tonight. Or rather, the three of them with a guest.

"A guest? Who?" Panne eyed her son suspiciously as he walked off.

She got her answer that evening, when Robin sat down with them and politely asked for their permission to marry Yarne.

Stahl had given his blessing without any trouble. When all three of them looked at Panne, she stared back and said,

"You are a fully grown taguel. It is not my place to tell you where you lay your head at night, or whose bed you share."  
" _Mother_!" Yarne protested, looking mortified.  
"What? You asked for my blessing and I told you that you do not need it."

The wedding was a simple affair. Yarne cared for fancy decorations even less than Panne did ("What if assassins hide their weapons in them!?"), so a quiet gathering with their friends was enough. Because Robin's own father was unable (and unwanted) to attend, Stahl walked her down the aisle.

Yarne's behavior changed slightly. He seemed a bit more cheerful and a bit less anxious. Stahl was content to chalk it up to newlywed bliss, but Panne suspected that he was happy to have a better excuse to stick as close to Robin (one of the strongest in the army) as possible.

During an investigation of some ruins, Panne spotted a young boy dressed in the garb of a taguel. Strangely, though, the boy didn't have long ears and only a small tail. An attacking mage took her attention before she could dwell on it, and by the end of the battle, she'd forgotten about the boy.

Or rather, she'd forgotten about the boy until Yarne and Robin had brought him to them and said that he was their son and, by extension, Panne and Stahl's grandson.

"This is a little weird." Stahl laughed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm still adjusting to being a father, and I'm already a grandfather!"

Morgan was the only one who laughed.

"Hey, don't feel too bad, Grandfather." He chuckled. "I'm still adjusting to meeting a father I don't remember, and now I'm meeting my grandparents!"

Robin and Yarne explained that Morgan was suffering from amnesia, and was only able to remember his mother.

"But he's definitely a taguel, Mother!" Yarne said excitedly. "I saw him transform myself!"  
"It's kind of a shame that he doesn't have fluffy ears like his father, though." Robin noted, sounding a bit disappointed.

When Morgan looked worried, Robin quickly reassured him that she was _not_ disappointed with him. Out of the corner of his eye, Stahl saw Yarne mouth a thank you to Naga that Morgan did not inherit his ears.

Panne was still staring at Morgan curiously.

"I am... not used to being treated like an elder." She said slowly.

The elders in taguel warren were (obviously) usually rather old, and Panne was still quite young.

"Well, that's to be expected, right?" Stahl shrugged. "We weren't expecting a son to come back in time, let alone a grandson."

Panne simply shrugged.

The boy clearly took the most after his mother. He was always going on and on about being a tactician like his mother. Panne didn't think too much of it. There were a number of people in the army who often spoke of their children wanting to follow in their footsteps. Yarne seemed a little disappointed that Morgan didn't seem to think much about his position as one of the last taguel.

One afternoon, Panne spotted Morgan talking to Stahl. The two appeared to be whispering, and when they saw Panne, their conversation ceased and they moved somewhere else. Before Panne could follow them, Cordelia called to her and asked her to help with some of the wounded. 

It wasn't until that evening when she entered her and Stahl's tent to find that the two of them had prepared a carrot cake (with some assistance from Gaius).

"Happy birthday, Panne!" Robin grinned at her.  
"I hope the surprise wasn't too much." Olivia smiled sheepishly.  
"I was worried it might give her a heart attack." Yarne sighed.

"It was Morgan's idea." Stahl explained as he gestured to Morgan.  
"To tell the truth, I wasn't really sure if carrot cake would be your kind of thing." Morgan chuckled. "But I went into town with Severa one time, and I tried this _amazing_ carrot cake! I begged the baker for the recipe, then I got Grandfather to help me. Of course, we still didn't do very well, so we got Severa's dad to help."  
"You like... carrots?" Panne said slowly as she gave Morgan a small smile.  
"Yeah." Morgan grinned back. "I can eat other vegetables, but if there's carrots in a dish, I'll definitely eat it!

"I guess I'm a taguel in more ways than one, huh?"  
"I suppose you are." Panne said gently as she ruffled the boy's hair.

Stahl smiled as he watched. There were times when it was just the little things that marked you as family, but sometimes that wasn't so bad. In fact, there were times when Stahl was more than content with just the small things, and he knew that Panne felt the same way.


	4. Kjelle

When Sully and Kellam's daughter walked into their tent with Robin and asked them to sit down, Sully knew what was coming. As soon as the request for their blessing was out of Robin's mouth, she dragged him out of the tent for a little chat.

"And here I thought being overprotective of daughters was the father's job." Kjelle gave a small laugh.  
"Robin doesn't need to get the "if you do anything to hurt my daughter" talk from me." Kellam smiled. "Sully's always been better at that sort of thing than I have."

When Robin and Sully returned, Robin was slightly pale, but still calm enough to discuss wedding plans. When the day arrived, the whole situation felt a little surreal.

"I never thought I'd be seeing you in a dress, Kjelle." Severa looked Kjelle over with a smirk.  
"It _is_ a tradition for a bride, you know." Kjelle glared back. "And even if it's not my usual preference, I'm still capable of wearing one regardless of whether or not you think it looks good."

As Kjelle walked off in a huff, she could have sworn she heard Severa mumble "I never said it didn't look good..."

As Kellam escorted Kjelle down the aisle, he whispered to her.

"You're the loveliest bride I've ever seen."  
"Save those compliments for your daughter when she's born." She gave a small chuckle.

As Kellam and Sully went to bed that night, the two discussed how the family dynamic was going to change.

"Turn your back once, and a future daughter shows up." Sully mused. "The next? She's getting married! To one of your friends!"  
"It _does_ feel a bit strange having Robin as a son-in-law, doesn't it?" Kellam laughed.  
"Just you wait. It won't be long before we end up with grandkids!" Sully groaned.  
"I don't think they'll be rushing to have children. They both said they wanted to take things slowly. I'm sure it'll be awhile before Grandma Sully has kids begging to ride your horse with you."

Naturally, it was three days later that a girl claiming to be Robin's daughter was found in some ruins.

"She's a Knight." Kellam noted.  
"And she's got your hair color." Sully added.  
"She definitely knows who you are." Kjelle pointed out.  
"...But she has no memory of anyone else." Robin sighed. "It's still better than only remembering her name, like I did."

Regardless of the circumstances, Morgan still found a place in the army and got along quite well with her comrades. Perhaps too well.

"Inigo's flirting with Morgan." Kjelle declared as she and Sully made their way to the training grounds. "I just know it."  
"I thought she was just his wingman?" Sully raised her eyebrow curiously.  
"It's definitely more. Trust me, I grew up with him." Kjelle growled as she grabbed her lance. "She's his "wingman" for now, but it's just a matter of time before he makes his move."  
"And do you think he's going to hurt her?" Sully asked as she struck her sword.

Taken aback, Kjelle stumbled.

"No... No!" She shook her head violently. "He's a flirt and and a fool, but he would _never_ hurt a girl he was interested in. Or a girl he wasn't interested in, for that matter."

"And Morgan?"  
"What?"  
"How does Morgan feel about all this? 'Cause if the interest goes both ways, there's really nothing you can do about it, kiddo. Morgan's a big girl."  
"But he's my _friend_! And she's my _daughter_!"  
"Now you know how I felt when you and Robin told me you were getting hitched."

Kjelle remained silent for a moment before she looked her mother right in the eye and asked what Sully had spoken to Robin about the night they got engaged.

"Why?"  
"If Inigo thinks I'm going to stand by and let him romance my daughter without any knowledge of what he's getting into, he's got another thing coming. I want to put the _fear of the gods_ in him."  
"...Kjelle, if you're going to pull the mama bear thing on him, I think you're better off going with a different approach. I knew Robin would be able handle a little roughness, but if Inigo's anything like his mother and Ruffles..."

At the same time, Kellam was preparing drinks for everyone.

"Grandfather?" Morgan called out suddenly, and Kellam nearly dropped the tray. 

"Oh... Morgan. I didn't see you there." Kellam stammered, noting that it felt very strange to be saying those words.  
"I just got here." Morgan explained. "I was looking for you."  
"I see."

Being one of Stahl's friends meant that Kellam had learned a few things about how to pick up on subtle cues, and judging by Morgan's hunched posture and almost glum look on her face, there was definitely something on her mind.

"I've been trying to get my memories of Mother back, but so far nothing's been working!" Morgan explained. "At first I tried bashing my head against a tome to knock some memories loose, but all it did was make me dizzy."  
"That almost sounds like something your grandmother would do." Kellam said with a small smile.  
"Grandmother was actually the one who stopped me. I didn't really get all of what she was saying because I was so nauseous, but she said something about brain damage and ordered me to talk to Brady or one of the other healers before I went to bed tonight."  
"...How hard were you hitting your head!?"

Wordlessly, Morgan held up her Fire tome, which was in two pieces.

"Well, it's good to see you've gotten the same hard head as your mother and grandmother." Kellam sighed. "But I'm guessing you want some advice on another method?"  
"Yes." Morgan nodded. "I want to remember my mother. I know I must have loved her as much as my father. I wouldn't have been a Knight if I hadn't. And if there are any memories of you and Grandmother, I want those back, too."

Given Morgan's status as the time traveling daughter of a time traveler, they had virtually nothing to go on to know what sort of future she came from. If she came back in time, did that mean that in her future, they'd failed to prevent Grima's resurrection? Or if they had, did that mean that Morgan had been ripped from a happy future with her family? Was there an iteration of Kellam's daughter wondering where her little girl had gone?

It was one of those things that Kellam didn't like to dwell too much on.

"Why don't you try focusing on your mother's face for awhile?" He suggested.

Morgan laughed.

"That was what Mother suggested, too. It didn't really help, but maybe that's because I'm not used to it. If I do it more, maybe something will show up."

Morgan moved to stand up, only to stumble slightly as she did.

"Have you seen a healer yet?" Kellam frowned.  
"Not... yet." Morgan smiled sheepishly.

"Get your arse over to Maribelle's kid and get your head looked at before I do it myself!" Kellam and Morgan looked to the doorway to see Sully leaning on Kjelle as they walked in. "And trust me, you _don't_ want me giving you a medical check."  
"You really don't." Kellam added.  
"I'll go with you, so let's get that head checked out. I know I've got to get my head looked at, too." Kjelle released her mother and gestured for Morgan to follow her.  
"Yes, ma'am!" Morgan laughed as she set off with her mother.

"Well, at least she's got respect for her elders." Sully shrugged as Kellam handed her a drink.  
"It sounds like our daughter has done a good job as a parent." Kellam smiled at her.  
"And I guess that means _we_ did something right in the future." Sully grinned back. "Let's just hope this timeline's Kjelle turns out as good."

"I'm sure she will."


	5. Owain

"No, no, a thousand times no!" Lissa protested.  
"Lissa, darlin'..." Donnel put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "That's the same thing ya said when _I_ proposed. I'm not sure if yer givin' yer blessin' or not."  
"That was different!" Lissa scowled back. "That was you! This is our _son_! He's way too young to get married!"  
"Owain's older'n we are, Lissa. Him and Robin are about the same age."  
"That's not the point!" Lissa pouted. "Whether or not he's older than us doesn't matter! He's our son, and she's our friend! That's... That's just weird!"  
"It ain't that uncommon fer soldiers to marry the children of their older friends, 'specially if they're around the same age." Donnel explained. "Course, we're in a rather strange position of parents, child, and potential spouse all bein' around the same age."

"You guys _do_ understand that we're still here, right?" Robin raised her hand to get their attention.

Donnel quickly apologized while Lissa continued to glare. Robin crossed her arms while Owain sat next to her, looking uncomfortable.

"Way I see it is, yer old enough to be makin' yer own decisions on things like that." Donnel continued. "If Robin makes ya happy, Son, I say go fer it."

Lissa pouted some more, but eventually relented and told Owain and Robin to do what they wanted.

At the wedding, Donnel walked Robin down the aisle. Lissa cried as she watched her son exchange his vows, and rolled her eyes when it seemed like he was going to start rambling. She told her son that she was proud of him, and awkwardly complimented Robin on her wedding dress.

That night, as the two were getting ready for bed, Donnel decided to ask why Lissa was so opposed to Robin marrying Owain. Lissa's face turned red, but she took a deep breath and began to explain.

"It feels like Owain just got here, and now he's being taken away! By one of our best friends, nonetheless!"  
"It ain't like he's goin' anywhere, Lissa." Donnel shrugged. "Robin's the Shepherds' tactician, I doubt she's gonna spirit him away somewhere."  
"You know what I mean!" Lissa scowled. "They're newlyweds! They're going to be spending all their spare time together, and Owain won't have time for either of us, and before you know it, they're going to be having children on their own!"  
"I can't say I'd _mind_ us havin' a couple grandkids..." Donnel chuckled. "But I don't think grandkids are gonna be showin' up for a while. Probably not until this timeline's Owain is born."  
"You have a point." Lissa sighed. "I can't see Robin wanting to have children while the father is still "talking like a thesaurus", to put it in her words."  
"The two of you became friends when she first joined the Shepherds, right?"  
"Yeah. Chrom, Frederick and I found her lying in a field with amnesia."  
"Well, think of it this way: We're not losin' a son. We're gettin' a daughter."

Lissa paused for a moment to consider it. Donnel smiled when he saw her cheeks twitch as she started snickering.

"Y-You're right!" Lissa snorted. "Robin's our daughter-in-law now! Oh man... I'm _so_ gonna use that against her!"

Donnel sighed as he crawled into bed. There would be more time for talk in the morning.

Lissa tried to use her status as Robin's new mother-in-law against her, only for Robin to flip it around, treating her like an elder. When it was Robin's turn to cook, she would make Lissa's plate as mushy as possible.

"I wouldn't want you to damage your teeth, Mother!" She explained cheerfully.

It was a month after Owain and Robin's wedding that they received word of ruins containing the legacy of the divine dragon. Unfortunately, the ruins had Risen all over the place, so a proper investigation would have to wait until they were cleared out.

"Not just Risen, bandits too." Lissa sighed.  
"That kid over there doesn't look like a bandit, though." Donnel noted.

Lissa looked to where Donnel was pointing, and saw a young man dressed like a Myrmidon.

"Looks like he's alone. We should warn him about what's happenin'!"  
"We've gotta clear out these Risen first!" Lissa exclaimed. "Besides, it looks like Owain and Robin have got it handled."

Donnel looked back to see his daughter-in-law speaking to the boy. Reassured, he lifted his lance and aimed at the Risen.

The "legacy" of the divine dragon turned out to be what Chrom called "Naga's Tear".

Later that evening, before dinner, Robin and Owain asked to speak with Lissa and Donnel about the boy found in the ruins.

"Behold!" Owain declared as he gestured to the boy emphatically. "For he is another traveler who has crossed the misty shores of time and-"  
"Is he your brother?" Lissa interrupted. "Do we have another son?"  
"Nay, Mother!" Owain shook his head with a triumphant smile. "The scion you see before you bears tidings from-"  
"Keep it brief, son." Donnel cut him off.  
"I'm his son from the future!" The boy piped up cheerfully. "I think."  
"I was gettin' to that..." Owain protested.

"You... _think_ you're Owain's son from the future?" Lissa eyed the boy curiously.  
"Well, I definitely know she's my mother." The boy, Morgan, gestured to Robin. "I don't really remember anything else, though."  
"I'm starting to think memory problems run in your family, Robin." Lissa sighed.

Morgan settled into the army quite nicely. He began making friends with some of the other children from the future.

"He hasn't had much luck getting his memories back, though." Robin sighed as she picked up her tea cup. "He's very worried about it."  
"And how is Owain handling it?" Maribelle asked calmly.  
"He hasn't said anything, but I think he's worried about it as well." Robin looked down to her lap.  
"I'll talk to Morgan." Lissa chimed in. "I bet talking to his grandmother will help at least a little!"  
"That's a good idea, Mother!" Robin smiled at her. "I bet you could even bake some sweets for him!"  
"Stop treating me like an old lady!"

The following day, Lissa and Donnel invited Owain and Morgan on a hunting trip. It'd be a good bonding experience, they explained.

"Are you going to be okay, Grandmother?" Morgan asked, looking concerned. "You had a cold the other day, didn't you?"  
"Don't worry about me, Morgan." Lissa declared, smiling with confidence. "I'm not as delicate as you think!"

They spent the afternoon setting traps for rabbits.

"I heard ya haven't had much luck in gettin' Morgan's memories back?" Donnel asked quietly as he began to set up the trigger for the trap.

Owain, who had taken the preparation of the net on himself, gave just the slightest flinch, but Donnel had seen it.

"Alas, my beloved protectorate has yet to have even the slightest glimpse into the future from which he came!"  
"I'm gonna take that as a no?"  
"...No, he hasn't."

Owain looked into the net in his hands.

"I mean, there's no doubt in my mind that he's my son, but I know next to nothing about him or where he came from." 

Donnel said nothing, and Owain took that as a sign to continue.

"If you or Mother asked about the future I came from, I wouldn't have any trouble telling you. But Morgan only remembers Robin, so I don't know how I'm supposed to help him. If he had an idea of what I was like in the future, it might help since it would help me give him something familiar to work with, but there's nothing! I've tried having him stare at me and see if it helps, but it hasn't worked so far."  
"What sort of memories does he have of his ma?" Donnel finally asked.  
"He remembers being close to her. They apparently studied tactics a lot in the future, even when Morgan was a child." Owain explained before a small smile crossed his face.

"Heh. Morgan is truly the scion of heroes. A genius from childhood!"  
"Owain." Donnel gave his son a stern look.  
"...Sorry, Father."

"I'm not gonna tell you what ya need to do to get Morgan's memories back, 'cause I have no idea what would work." Donnel explained. "The most I can tell ya is to keep tryin' and hope for the best. Even if Morgan's memories don't come back, that ain't necessarily a bad thing. It might be that Morgan has some pretty bad memories, and I mean the kind that are so bad, ya gotta suppress 'em just to stay sane."

Owain said nothing for a moment, mulling as he considered what his father was saying. Finally, he nodded and looked at Donnel with a smile.

"I thank you, Father!" He declared dramatically. "Your wisdom has cleared the doubt from my mind!"

Donnel knew that Owain was still worried, but he just grinned at Owain and went back to setting up the trap.

While this was going on, Lissa and Morgan were working on another trap.

"I saw you talking to Cordelia's daughter the other day." Lissa said as she sat down to work on the cover for the hole Morgan was digging. "You two seemed pretty close."  
"Severa? I guess we are. I've kinda been helping her work on her cooking, and that's how we've become friends."

Morgan said they were "friends", but there was a small blush on his face that told Lissa there was something more beneath the surface. It was tempting to tease the boy and get more out of him, but Lissa swallowed and told herself that she didn't want to embarrass the boy.

"How are you and your father getting along?" She asked, changing the subject.  
"Father's been helping me get my memories back!" Morgan explained with a cheerful smile.

Then it faltered for a moment.

"Well, he's been _trying_ to help me get my memories back. We... haven't really had any luck so far."

"That's too bad." Lissa gave him a sad look. "I bet you're worried about it, aren't you?"  
"Oh course I am!" Morgan exclaimed. "I must have loved Father as much as Mother. I'm sure I loved you and Grandfather, too."  
"You're sweet." Lissa reached out to ruffle Morgan's hair. "I bet Donnel and I spoiled you in the future."

Morgan laughed.

"Who can say? I'm not going to give up, though. Not until I remember Father!"  
"I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that."  
"Who'll be happy to hear what?"

Lissa and Morgan looked up to see Owain and Donnel walking up to them, having finished their trap.

"We're almost done." Morgan explained.  
"That's good." Donnel grinned. "We just need to leave for awhile, then come back and see-"

A loud noise suddenly rang out.

"Was that your trap!?" Lissa gasped. "Did you catch a rabbit!?"

Before Donnel could answer, they heard yelling.

"AIEEEEE! THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE END OF THE TAGUEL!"  
" _DONNEL_!"

"Not a rabbit..." Donnel groaned. "Not exactly."  
"We should probably go cut them down." Morgan sighed. "Before Yarne has a heart attack."  
"Indeed. It would not do for heroes of legend to die at the hands of a fellow hero." Owain added. "Especially by accident. Come, Morgan. Assist your father."

Morgan followed Owain to where the trap was set, both preparing their swords.

Donnel and Lissa could only laugh as they heard their son and grandson try to reassure their friend that no, they were not going to kill him, they were just going to cut him and his mother down and that he needed to stop wiggling so they wouldn't cut him by mistake.

"I think our boy's doin' okay, don't ya think?" Donnel asked Lissa.  
"Yeah, he really is." Lissa agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Owain's way of talking combined with Donnel's way of talking... NEVER AGAIN.


	6. Cynthia

There was a certain tenseness in the air at Robin and Cynthia's wedding, one that both the bride and her mother seemed to be oblivious to.

Sumia and Henry had both given their blessing easily, enthusiastically even. Robin had hoped that meant that there wouldn't be any awkwardness between them, but on the day of the wedding itself, there was an aura of malevolence that had been radiating from Henry ever since he walked out of Cynthia's room after helping her prepare. Had it not truly hit him that his daughter was getting married until he saw her in her wedding dress? It _did_ seem like Henry took awhile to walk Cynthia down the aisle.

If Sumia was aware of her husband's hostility, she didn't show it. 

"The two of you have grown so much since you met!" She exclaimed at the celebration party. "I'm sure you'll keep helping each other grow."  
"Thanks, Mom!" Cynthia grinned.

Meanwhile, Henry approached Robin and asked to speak privately. 

"We don't need to, Henry." Robin shook his head. "I don't know _exactly_ what you're going to say, but I know what your intention is."  
"Is that so?" Henry's smile didn't falter, but it looked slightly more tense.  
"Yes, and I want to make one thing clear." Robin stood up straight and looked Henry right in the eye. "If I ever did _anything_ to hurt Cynthia in any way, I wouldn't simply accept your wrath. Oh no, I would _help_ you come up with whatever horrible curse you could come up with."

Henry stared at Robin for a moment before letting out a cheerful laugh.

"That's good to hear, Robin!" He chuckled. "I mean, I knew you wouldn't do anything to hurt her, but it's nice to get some reassurance!"

Robin groaned as Henry continued laughing. At least the atmosphere was getting lighter, and the other guests were starting to relax without understanding why. In the end, the party ended without any incidents. Henry and Sumia returned to the barracks.

"The wedding was lovely." Sumia chirped as she and Henry prepared for bed. "Cynthia looked like an angel!"  
"She really did." Henry agreed.  
"You seemed a little tense after we helped her get ready, though." Sumia explained gently. "I didn't say anything because Cynthia didn't seem to realize it and I didn't want her to worry."

Henry looked at his wife in surprise. Sumia giggled.

"Were you worried that we were losing our daughter?" She asked with a gentle smile. "You were taking your time walking her down the aisle."

Henry said nothing, so Sumia continued.

"Last night, I asked Cynthia why she and Robin decided to get married, and she really surprised me."  
"Oh?"  
"She said that he made her re-think what it meant to be a hero. She said that he made her want to be better. And to be honest, I could definitely see that. You saw how mature she was being when she and Robin came to us and asked for our permission."  
"...I can sort of understand wanting become a better person for the person you love." Henry mumbled slightly. "I guess Cynthia might take more after me than I thought."  
"You...?" Sumia gave her husband a puzzled look before comprehension lit up her face. "Oh, Henry!"

She reached out to embrace him, only to trip and fall into his arms.

"...You expected that." Sumia said as her face turned red.  
"Yeah, I did." Henry smiled at her.

The two stood there for a moment before Sumia spoke up again.

"But, back to what we were talking about. I hope you don't give Robin a hard time. He's one of our best friends and I know he'll treat Cynthia right."  
"I know he will." Henry answered with just the hint of a pout. "I'm just sad that our little girl's all grown up."  
"We'll get that chance to see her grow up once she's... born."

Henry and Sumia fell into an awkward silence for another moment before Henry spoke again.

"I'm still going to curse him if anything happens to her."  
"I know you will."  
"And he's going to help!"  
"He would, wouldn't he?"

Despite having gotten married, not a lot seemed to have changed for Robin or Cynthia. Cynthia still spent at least an hour of her afternoon with her parents, and Robin still walked around the army talking to just about everyone, though whenever one of the soldiers made a sort of pass at him, he simply needed to point to the ring on his finger in order to halt most of the advances. The only thing that really seemed to change was that the two of them shared a room at the barracks now.

It was three weeks later that things really changed with the arrival of another girl with white hair.

"She's my daughter from the future!" Cynthia said excitedly when she introduced the girl, Morgan, to her parents. "Mine and Robin's."  
"So we have a granddaughter!" Sumia exclaimed cheerfully. "What sort of future did she come from?"

Robin, Cynthia, and Morgan all fell silent.

"We... don't really know." Robin replied awkwardly.  
"You don't know?"  
"Morgan... doesn't really remember much about the future she came from." Cynthia rubbed her head sheepishly.  
"I only really remember my father." Morgan said with a slightly ashamed look on her face. "I have a lot of clear memories of him, but no one else. I can't even remember my mother's face."

"Well, she's got her grandfather's hair color." Sumia said slowly.  
"And she's a Pegasus Knight like her grandmother." Henry continued. "If Morgan weren't so certain that Robin was her father, I'd think she was ours! Nya ha ha!"

That seemed to lighten the tension around the family, but only slightly.

Morgan was formally inducted into the Shepherds and seemed to take to it just fine, but she didn't seem to be talking to very many people: Just her parents and her mother's friends. She was apparently having a lot of casual conversations with just about everyone, but that really only seemed to be because she wanted to be a tactician like her father.

One afternoon, Sumia took the plunge and invited Morgan to have dinner with her and Henry, just the three of them. Surprisingly, Morgan agreed very cheerfully.

That evening, Morgan asked Sumia if she needed any help in the kitchen.

"Oh no, dear." Sumia laughed as she tossed the ingredients into the pot. "I've got everything under cont-"

As she was saying that, she tripped and only avoided dropping more ingredients thanks to Morgan grabbing her waist.

"You're fast."  
"Well, my mother trips a lot, so I need to have fast reflexes." Morgan explained.  
"She gets that from me. It doesn't look like you have that problem, though. Maybe having a clumsy mother and grandmother made you develop those reflexes in the future?"

Morgan's eyes lit up.

"Oh! Perhaps you're right!" She said excitedly. "Maybe this is the key to getting my memories back!"

Morgan and Sumia laughed before Sumia said that dinner would be ready before too long.

"I think I have it handled here. Why don't you go help your grandfather set the table?"  
"Okay!"

Henry and Sumia had moved their furniture around so they could have dinner with their granddaughter in private. The room was filled with a lot of Henry's cursing instruments, but it didn't seem to bother Morgan, who was chatting excitedly.

"Grandmother said that she's also preparing a pie for dessert! I can't wait!" She explained to Henry. "I'm starving!"  
"Hi, Starving, I'm Grandpa." Henry laughed as he pat Morgan on the head.  
"She also suggested that maybe the reason I'm not as accident-prone as her and Mother is because I developed fast reflexes in the future was so I could compensate for them!"  
"Is that so?"

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Henry opened the door to find Sumia carrying her pie while Gaius carried the pot of stew behind her.

"I still don't see why I couldn't carry the pie."  
"Because if you carried it, it would be gone by the time we got here." Henry heard Cherche say calmly from the other side of the door.

"Thanks for your help, Gaius."  
"No problem." Gaius shrugged.  
"I hope the three of you have a pleasant evening." Cherche poked her head into the room and smiled politely before leaving, her husband right behind her.

"Gerome's parents are very nice." Morgan smiled as she took her seat.  
"They are, indeed." Sumia nodded as she prepared Morgan's bowl. "Though sometimes it feels like Gerome himself might be a bit... anti-social?"  
"Personally, I think the boy could use a good laugh. It's good for soul, you know!" Henry added.  
"I agree!" Morgan chirped. "And I think he needs to be more expressive, too! I even made masks for him and he refused to wear them!"

The three of them chatted about how Morgan was getting along with the other children for several minutes before the discussion turned to the war. They had recently learned that it was possible to defeat Grima for good, but it would require sacrificing Morgan's father.

"I don't want Father to sacrifice himself, but..." Morgan's voice was melancholic. "But I think he might do it anyway."

Neither Henry nor Sumia had anything to say about that. Robin was the type to go with whatever sort of insane plan he had. Most of the time, those plans worked and had a minimum casualty count. In this case, however, the plan would have at least one required casualty, and it was someone that was important to so many people.

The table fell silent until Henry made a joke about Risen pie. They'd avoided ending dinner on a somber note, but there was still fear on their minds.

Sure enough, when the time came to decide who would deal the final blow onto Grima, Sumia let out a deep sigh as soon as she saw Robin shove Chrom out of the way.

"Wow, Robin's pretty bold!" Henry chuckled. "His best friend begs him not to sacrifice himself. His in-laws beg him not to sacrifice himself. His wife begs him not to sacrifice himself. His daughter begs him not to sacrifice himself, and what does he do? He goes and sacrifices himself!"

He laughed, but everyone around him could sense that he was upset.

Only Naga's assurance that Robin could be brought back by the strength of his bonds kept the celebration of Grima's defeat from being a total downer.

As they waited for Robin to reappear, Cynthia learned that Morgan and Gerome had gotten much closer than she'd anticipated. The only reason they hadn't gotten married was because Morgan wanted to wait for her father to come back.

"If you want, Cynthia, I could put a curse on him to kill him if he ever does anything to make Morgan cry!" Henry offered as he pat his daughter on the shoulder.

Cynthia looked torn between wanting to accept and how un-heroic it would be to put a curse on her friend without his knowledge. 

Sumia was about to protest when the door to their room burst open and Morgan rushed in with Gerome right behind her.

"They-They found Father!" She gasped, short for breath.

Cynthia quickly followed her daughter out of the room while Sumia and Henry stayed behind for a moment.

"Looks like there's going to be a wedding here coming up." Sumia chuckled. "I'm sure Robin will be surprised."  
"Yeah." Henry agreed. "Maybe I don't need to curse him for sacrificing himself after all. Finding out his daughter got engaged while he was gone is sure to be a big enough punishment!"

Sumia only laughed as she and her husband made their way to the castle to welcome their son-in-law home.


	7. Inigo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in time for Father's Day!

"I was under the impression that your marriage put a stop to your flirting." Inigo looked up to see his father walking toward him with a stern look on his face. "What's this I've been hearing about a contest to see "who can get a date the fastest"?"  
"Who told you that!?" Inigo looked exasperated.  
"Your mother did." Libra frowned. "She's been hoping to see you dance, and it sounds as though you've been avoiding her."  
"So she spied on me having a conversation with my son?"  
"N-not intentionally!" Inigo's eyes widened as he realized that his mother was right behind his father. She was getting better at hiding her presence. "I had hoped to see you dancing, and I ended up overhearing you."  
"Which brings us back to the start of our conversation." Libra continued. "Why is our married son having a flirting contest with his _own_ son?"

Inigo's face turned red.

"Inigo, I was the one who walked Robin down aisle. I was the one who performed the ceremony." Libra crossed his arms. "You shouldn't get married if you're going to run off and flirt with any girl that catches your eye. Or boy, if what I've heard about you and Cherche's son is true."  
"You say you want to be manhandled _one_ time and you never hear the end of it..." Inigo mumbled.  
"Do you understand what I'm saying, Inigo?" Libra's expression didn't change. "Things like marriage vows are very serious!"  
"I know that!" Inigo exclaimed. "Do you think I made the decision to propose lightly!? I knew what I was getting into! I even promised Robin I would stop!"  
"Then why-"  
"Father, please tell me, why do you think I'm competing over who can get a date when I'm standing here alone?"

That was an excellent point. Libra _had_ been puzzled as to why his son was standing by himself rather than with the group of Pegasus Knights who seemed to be surrounding Morgan several feet away, but had decided to confront him anyway.

"Why... _are_ you standing here all alone, Inigo?" Olivia asked quietly. "It seems strange to not see you in the midst of all that."  
"Well..." Inigo's face turned redder. "I knew from the beginning that our little contest was unfairly stacked in my favor. After all, if I wanted a date, all I'd have to do was ask Robin. So I decided to... hold back and observe how Morgan did and... compare his skills to mine when he was done."  
"And how is he doing?" Olivia asked as a smile began to creep onto her face.  
"He's doing very well!" Inigo said excitedly. "I mean, he's not quite on his father's level, but he's definitely charming those ladies!"  
"Is that so?"  
"Yes, indeed!" Inigo gushed. "He's got that smart, helpful charm that's hard to resist! He also has an earnest, wide-eyed innocence that drives some of the older girls crazy! And he-"

Inigo froze as he realized what he was saying, but it was too late. By now, Libra's frown had given way to a warm smile. Olivia was likewise looking very proud.

"It sounds like our future selves raised quite the doting father!" Olivia gave a small giggle.  
"C-Come on, Mother!" Inigo smiled nervously. "It's only natural that I'd be proud of my son being popular with girls! It doesn't make me a doting father!"  
"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Inigo." Libra chuckled.  
"B-but no woman wants to hear a guy go on and on about his kids!"  
"Ah, but you're forgetting that there _is_ a woman who would take great joy in hearing you talk about Morgan. Namely, your wife." Libra's tone was light, but there was a hint of a warning behind it.

Inigo grumbled to himself, his face still red.

"You _swear_ you haven't been flirting with other women?" Libra, sensing that his son was still embarrassed, decided to drop the issue of Inigo's gushing and moved back to the original topic.  
"Gods, yes, Father!" Inigo gave an exasperated sigh. "I haven't gone out of my way to flirt with girls since the wedding. I _have_ had girls come up to _me_ , though."  
"Oh?"  
"Yes." Inigo scowled. "I don't understand it. Girls almost never approached me on their own before. Then I get married and suddenly they're all over the place. You would think that getting a wedding ring would make them take a hint, but it hasn't worked so far! If anything, it actually seems to make them even _more_ interested."

Libra coughed, sympathizing with his son. It was certainly true that getting married wasn't always a guarantee that people would leave you alone. To this day, Libra had members of both sexes expressing interest in him.

"And how have things been going with Morgan?" Olivia asked, deciding to change the subject. "Have you had any luck in getting his memories back?"

Inigo winced. He had hoped for the subject to be changed, but it was clear that he'd been hoping for a different topic.

"No." He shook his head. "After I got him to stop hitting his head, we tried almost everything. We've tried those herbal remedies you suggested, Father. We've consulted some psychology books Laurent's mother had. We _almost_ asked Noire's parents if there was a curse that could help, but Noire said that we were better off not doing so. The only thing that's had even a little success was staring at my face, and the only thing he got back was a very vague memory of me smiling at him."  
"I see." Olivia's smile faded. "Have you tried doing things together? Things that you and Morgan might both enjoy? If you spent a lot of time together in Morgan's future, it might bring a memory back?"  
"The problem is, there really isn't anything we both enjoy doing." Inigo sighed. "I've tried going over books on tactics and spells and I find it rather... boring. As for flirting, I think he might just be going along with it to please me."  
"What about dancing?" Libra suggested.  
" _No_. Absolutely not!" Inigo shook his head. "I don't even like it when Mother tries to watch me. Having my son watch me is just... no. Besides, he already tried dancing for me. He's very talented in spells and tactics, but his dancing... leaves a lot to be desired."

Inigo paused a moment before he gave his parents a pleading look.

"Please don't tell him I said that. It wasn't very good, but he was trying so hard and his face was so earnest that I didn't have the heart to tell him."

Olivia giggled again.

"You say he tried dancing for you, but I still think dancing together is worth a try." Libra said gently as he placed a hand on Inigo's shoulder.  
"Father, _no_."  
"You don't have to do it alone." Olivia piped up. "There's a festival coming up. We could all do a ceremonial dance together as a family."  
"B-but everyone would see me!" Inigo protested.  
"Come now, Inigo." Libra gently scolded. "Surely a dance honoring the gods is something to proud of? And if it might help your son get his memories back, it would surely be worth it?"

Inigo pouted for a moment, but nodded.

"Wonderful!" Olivia clapped her hands in glee. "We should get started practicing!"

Both Robin and Morgan seemed receptive to the idea.

"That's a great idea!" Morgan had said. "I'm sure I've seen you guys dance lots of times in the future! It's sure to bring at least one memory back!"  
"Why not?" Robin shrugged. "It'll be nice to do some relaxing as a family."

The family spent the next several days practicing. True to what Inigo said, Morgan was not a very good dancer, though Libra noted that neither was Robin. Clearly that was yet another way Morgan took after his mother.

One evening after they were finished, Libra and Olivia found Morgan praying.

"I do this every day!" Morgan said with a pleasant smile."To tell the truth, I don't remember praying with Mother very much, I just think it's something that I need to do."  
"Perhaps this is an activity you did with your father in the future?" Libra gave his grandson a warm smile. "Your father also offers many prayers to the gods."  
"Does he really?" Morgan's eyes sparkled with excitement.  
"Indeed." Libra chuckled. "It seems he's rather shy about it, however. I can't even get him to pray with me."  
"Is he also shy about dancing?" Morgan asked curiously. "Because he didn't want to dance with me before. I thought he might have been embarrassed because I was so bad."  
"N-no!" Olivia exclaimed as she shook her head. "Your father was very proud of you! He said you were-"  
"Aw, you don't have to lie, Grandmother." Morgan laughed. "I know I'm pretty bad at dancing. I always wanted to be a tactician like Mother, so even if I saw Father dancing in the future, I probably didn't do a whole lot of it myself."

He was laughing, but there was something sad in his voice. Libra began to wonder if Morgan didn't take more after his father than he thought. Before he could say anything, however, Morgan stood up.

"I should probably get going!" He said quickly. "We're having bear meat for dinner tonight!"

Then he was gone.

Libra gave his wife a troubled look. This was something that needed to be discussed, but it would have to be saved for later. With a sigh, he and Olivia made their way to the dining hall. It was later that night, when the two were alone in the barracks, that Libra voiced his concerns.

"You don't suppose Morgan might be faking his smiles?"  
"I thought so as well, but..." Olivia bit her lip, unsure if she wanted to continue. "But I'm a little worried that I could be wrong."

When Libra gave her a quizzical look, Olivia explained that she'd initially thought the same of Henry after learning of his past, but Henry himself was adamant that his smiles were not fake and that he really _was_ as cheerful as he acted.

"Morgan isn't Henry, though." Libra sighed. "Of course, even if his smiles are false ones, it doesn't necessarily mean that they're for his own sake. It could be his own way of keeping up morale in the people around him."

Olivia nodded, remembering what Libra had told her about his conversations with Inigo.

"I'm worried, but if Morgan doesn't want us to interfere..."  
"Then I'm afraid that it's out of our hands, my love."

Olivia looked sad, but Libra smiled at her.

"But Morgan isn't alone." He explained. "He has his parents and grandparents on his side."

Olivia smiled back.

"You're right."

The day of the festival, the dance went off without a hitch. By the time they were finished, there was applause everywhere.

"I think that went well!" Robin said with a grin as they made their way to the barracks to change out of their robes.  
"It was amazing!" Olivia laughed. "I didn't feel embarrassed at all!"

Despite the cheery atmosphere, Morgan looked as though the world was ending.

"Something wrong, Morgan?" Inigo asked, and suddenly all eyes were on Morgan.  
"I... I didn't get any memories back." Morgan said grimly. "When we finished, I waited and waited for something to come to me, but nothing did."

He looked ready to cry, even as his parents both hugged him.

"B-But the dance itself is a good memory, right!?" Olivia stammered before she could stop herself.

When Morgan gave them a puzzled look, Libra stepped forward and explained.

"What your grandmother means is, even if you didn't get any memories back from performing today, you still have the memory of the dance itself? Of practicing together with your family?"  
"Yes..." Morgan nodded. "I can't remember anything but my mother, but thankfully I haven't forgotten anything since you guys found me."  
"Isn't that okay, then?" Olivia reached out and took his hand. "Even if you don't get your memories back, you can always make _new_ memories with your family."

Morgan's eyes widened.

"You're right!" He said excitedly. "I mean, I still want to try getting my old memories back, but..."  
"But living in the present is just as important as cherishing the past." Libra smiled at him.  
"Yes!" Morgan nodded with a wide smile. "Thank you, Grandmother and Grandfather!"

"Thanks, Father, Mother." Inigo whispered to them. "Now, the festival is still going on, and I'm rather famished. Shall we get something to eat after we change?"  
"Let's go!" Morgan exclaimed. "I hope they have bear meat!"

Olivia and Libra watched as they set off.

"It's lovely, isn't it?" Libra gave a small sigh. "I don't have those sorts of memories from my own parents, so I'm glad to see that my own son is able to give _his_ son a happy memory."  
"I guess that means we were able to give Inigo some happy memories in the future." Olivia giggled.  
"I suppose you're right." Libra chuckled.

"Hey, Grandmother! Grandfather!" Morgan shouted from where he was standing. "Are you coming? You'll miss the rest of the festival!"  
"Yes, we're coming!" Olivia shouted back as Libra extended his hand toward her.  
"Shall we, my love?" He asked with a gentle smile.  
"Of course!" Olivia blushed as she took his hand.

And off they went.


	8. Noire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIIIIIIIIIIVE!

The discovery that her time-traveling daughter had fallen in love with the man she'd been obsessed with, and that he returned her feelings, was not one that anybody who'd known Tharja for even five minutes believed she would take kindly to.

It was for that reason that they didn't actually ask for the blessing of Noire's parents to marry, merely told them that they intended to.

Virion was understanding. He even seemed pleased that his daughter was standing up for herself, saying that it was a sign that she belonged to the House of Virion.

Tharja, however, said absolutely nothing, which none of them took as a good sign. The wedding planning had been a very tense affair. How could it not be? 

Surprisingly, however, the actual wedding went off without any issues. It was obvious that Virion had had a long talk with his wife to make sure she wouldn't ruin their daughter's special day. As Noire was walked down the aisle by her father, there was a blush on her face and a smile in her heart. It was, all in all, a very quiet, but joyous occasion.

"Nothing like a good wedding to get the troops' spirits, up!" Virion said triumphantly as he and his wife returned to the barracks that evening. "Even the bittersweet taste of my own daughter being the bride cannot hinder it!"

Tharja still said nothing.

"Now, I understand that you are unhappy about today's nuptials." Virion said quietly as he took Tharja's hands in his, gesturing for her to sit down. "Perhaps you might have wished that it had been you standing by Robin's side..."  
"If that had been the case, I never would have agreed to marry you." Tharja scoffed. "I'm just not sure what to make of this whole situation."  
"Oh?" Virion asked as he raised a curious eyebrow.  
"I'll admit that I was forced to confront the fact that I had been... idealizing Robin to some extent." Tharja paused before she said "idealizing", unsure if that word was really about to leave her lips. "I don't understand why he drew my attention to the extent that he did, but I was certain that he had been what I was looking for."

When Virion gestured for her to continue, Tharja let out a sigh.

"I don't know if he realizes it, but there's something very dark in him. I'm not sure what it is, but it's very powerful, and it was what first drew me to him. I built up this image of him in my mind and I expected him to live up to it."  
"I see."  
"And it wasn't until I married you that I started to see him as a person rather than an idealized image. The next thing I know, he's marrying my daughter." Tharja growled. "I understand that it's not uncommon for soldiers to marry the children of their older comrades, but I'm not happy about it."

Virion let out a gulp in an attempt to swallow the chuckle that was threatening to leave his mouth. His wife wasn't jealous of their daughter at all.

"Noire is... a very delicate young lady." He began. "At the same time, however, she is much more resilient and bold than you may think. I do not think that Robin is taking advantage of her at all."  
"I never said he was." Tharja scoffed. "I'm willing to accept them being married, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be happy about it."  
"I know, my love." Virion chuckled once more.

Very little changed with Robin and Noire's marriage. Tharja still followed Robin around, but there was something slightly more malicious in it than Robin had first felt.

When he and Noire introduced their daughter to her and Virion, Robin was afraid that she'd explode.

"She's _what_." Surprisingly, she didn't, but there was still an unpleasant feeling creeping into everyone present.  
"I'm Robin's daughter!"

Well, almost everyone. If Morgan could sense her grandmother's malevolence, she didn't show it.

"I don't really remember my mother very well..." She admitted sheepishly. "Or anything other than my father, really. But I'm sure I'll get my memories back in no time!"  
"My my, it sounds like our daughter has raised quite the spitfire!" Virion was taking the news far better. "Optimistic and determined to pursue her goals... There can be no doubt that she is of the House Virion!"

Morgan settled into the army fairly quickly. It didn't take long for her to join her mother and grandfather during archery practice. It became fairly common to see her joining Virion for tea.

Tharja, however, kept her distance. Virion understood her reasons, but another part of him was concerned that Morgan might take it the wrong way. And sure enough...

"Does Grandmother not like me?" She asked during tea one day. 

Both Virion and Noire paused in what they were doing.

"I... I wouldn't say she doesn't _like_ you per se..." Virion was the first to recover, though Noire wasn't far behind.  
"Mother doesn't like a good number of people." She added. "In fact, it might be easier to make a list of the people she _does_ like."

She sighed.

"There are times when I think that maybe she doesn't like _me_ very much." 

When both Morgan and Virion gave her concerned looks, Noire quickly protested.

"I-I know she worries about me in her own way! Father, you suggested that maybe she won't let me study curses because they're dangerous." She explained. "And when it really mattered, she... she saved me, even if..."

Sensing the subtext behind her words, Virion set his cup down and moved to embrace his daughter.

"I-I'm sorry, Mother!" Morgan exclaimed. "I didn't mean to make you remember anything unhappy."  
"It's alright, Morgan." Noire sniffled. "It's not your fault."

"Speaking of memories, how is your project to regain Morgan's memories going?" Virion said suddenly.

His intention had been to change the subject to something more pleasant, but unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. Both Morgan and Noire slumped in their seats with gloomy looks on their faces.

"Not very well." Morgan sighed dejectedly. "I haven't gotten any memories back at all."  
"It doesn't really help that we don't know why Morgan's lost her memories." Noire added. "Yarne's father said that there are a lot of things that can cause amnesia. Things like head injuries, illnesses, curses..."  
"Curses?" Morgan perked up. "That's the sort of thing Grandmother specializes in, right? Maybe there's a curse that can help regain memories?"

Virion and Noire paused to take that in.

"I-I'm pretty sure that there is-" Noire began.  
"And if there isn't, I am sure that it is within Tharja's abilities to create one." Virion added.  
"But I don't think it's really a good idea to ask Mother to help you with something like that." Noire finished.

Unfortunately, while they were explaining to Morgan that asking Tharja for help might not be a good idea, Morgan had already put down her cup and bade them farewell before setting off to find her.

Tharja, meanwhile, had been in the process of preparing ingredients when Morgan stormed into her tent.

"Good afternoon, Grandmother!" Morgan chirped.  
"I don't really see what's so good about it." Tharja scoffed. "Was there something you needed?"

The question was something of a formality. Tharja already had her suspicions about what Morgan wanted.

"I was wondering if there were any sort of curses that could help someone regain their memories?" Morgan asked quietly, but curiously.  
"Perhaps." Tharja crossed her arms. "There are a number of different curses that might work, depending on the cause of the memory loss."  
"So we have to know what caused my amnesia?" Morgan deflated slightly. "Would there be side-effects if we tried a curse that worked on amnesia caused by head trauma, and it turned out that I lost my memories from a curse?"  
"Possibly." Tharja shrugged as a smirk began to creep onto her face. "Are you willing to risk it?"

Before Morgan could even open her mouth, Noire stormed in.

"Don't you _dare_ , Mother!" She exclaimed, looking more fierce than she ever had without the use of her talisman. "I-I won't let you use my daughter as a guinea pig for your experiments!"  
"Relax." Tharja rolled her eyes. "Do you honestly think I'd be careless enough to inflict curses on someone without regard to the possible side effects?"

The look on Noire's face suggested that the answer was "yes", but she chose not to say anything, her earlier bravado already beginning to fade.

"So we can't try any of the curses?" Morgan piped up.  
"Absolutely not!" Noire protested.  
"That's not really for you to decide." Tharja gave Noire an icy look. "If Morgan is willing to try it, I see no reason not to."  
"But-"  
"At the same time, you need to understand that there are some risks." Tharja turned her gaze to Morgan. "There might be a curse that can give you your memories of Noire back, but it could come at a cost. Say, your memories of Robin."

Morgan paled at Tharja's words.

"Are you sure, Mother?" Noire's shoulders slumped.  
"Curses are one of the most dangerous forms of Dark Magic in existence." Tharja explained grimly. "Curses affecting things like the heart or the mind, even more so. They can cause irreversible damage to the body and soul of both the target and the caster."

Morgan said nothing, mulling over Tharja's words.

"I couldn't use one particular person as a subject once I got a good enough glimpse into their soul. Another refused to accept the curse I prepared for them because they were unwilling to sacrifice the memories it would take away." Tharja continued. "If you want to go through with it, I'm willing to do so, but you need to know what it is you're willing to give up."  
"I..." Morgan spoke up at last. "I don't think I'll use a curse."

Noire let out a sigh of relief as Morgan continued.

"If using a curse is really as dangerous as Grandmother says, I don't want to do it. I'm willing to put myself in danger, but I don't want to put Grandmother at risk."

Tharja rolled her eyes, but froze when Morgan suddenly hugged her.

"Thank you, Grandmother!" She exclaimed happily. "I'm going to keep doing what Mother and I were doing before!"  
"You mean staring at my face?" Noire asked.  
"Yes!" Morgan nodded.  
"Should we work on that now?" Noire smiled.

Morgan and Noire said goodbye to Tharja as they left the tent. Tharja glanced outside and realized that Virion was standing there with a warm smile on his face.

Tharja scoffed and closed the flap of the tent in a huff.


End file.
